2011 Volkswagen CC Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
CautionComplaint Index
57/100
#4 most-complained of 8 CC years
The 2011 Volkswagen CC has a complaint index of 57, ranking 4th worst out of 8 model years, and earns a Caution verdict. Airbags are the top problem area, with 32 complaints (37% share) and a median failure mileage of 44,000 miles.
- Complaints
- 86
- Recalls
- 4
- Crashes / fires
- 2 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 2 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 25
- 21 city / 31 hwy
Top 2011 Volkswagen CC problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Airbags32 (37%)
- Engine29 (34%)
- Fuel System19 (22%)
- Steering13 (15%)
- Electrical System7 (8%)
- Other7 (8%)
- Transmission & Powertrain6 (7%)
- Brakes4 (5%)
- Structure & Body1 (1%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires1 (1%)
What owners report
- Airbags fail to deploy during moderate-speed crashes around 30-35 mph, sometimes leading to injuries.
- Windshield wipers stop working below 10 mph and only resume once the vehicle speeds up again.
- Accelerator pedal sticks at highway speed, requiring the driver to physically pull it back.
- Brake pedal travels nearly to the floor with little stopping power, traced to a vacuum pump failure.
- Steering wheel suddenly locks or becomes extremely hard to turn while driving, sometimes tied to a steering gear box or clockspring failure.
- Driver-side door hinge snaps and the door falls off, while the underbody shield detaches and exposes brake lines.
2011 Volkswagen CC recalls
4 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 18V148000Mar 6, 2018Airbags363,713 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2014 Volkswagen CC, 2010-2014 Golf, 2010-2014 Eos, 2007-2010 Passat Sedan and Wagon, and 2012-2014 Passat vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to explode.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could explode with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflator with an alternative inflator, free of charge. The recall began March 16, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 69Q9. Note: This recall partially supersedes recall 16V-078.
- NHTSA 17V509000Aug 16, 2017Fuel System280,915 vehicles
Fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain 2009-2016 Volkswagen CC, 2006-2010 Passat and Passat Wagon vehicles. Interruption of electrical power to the fuel pump control module may cause the fuel pump to fail.
Risk: If the fuel pump fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel pump control module, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2018. Owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Volkswagen's number for this recall is 20AE.
- NHTSA 16V078000Feb 10, 2016Airbags659,493 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
Volkswagen Group of America, Inc. (Volkswagen) is recalling certain model year 2010-2014 Golf, 2007-2010 Passat sedans and wagon, 2012-2014 Passat sedan and Eos, 2009-2014 CC, 2009-2012 Audi Q5, 2010-2012 S5 Cabriolet and 2010-2012 Audi A5 Cabriolet vehicles. Upon deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, excessive internal pressure may cause the inflator to rupture.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants potentially resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Volkswagen will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver's frontal air bag inflators, free of charge. Volkswagen issued an interim notification to owners on April 12, 2016, and will send a second notification when parts are available. Volkswagen will notify owners again once parts are available. Volkswagen owners may contact Volkswagen customer service at 1-800-893-5298. Audi owners may contact Audi customer service at 1-800-253-2834.
2011 Volkswagen CC fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 31 MPG
- Combined
- 25 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $3,200
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Premium
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other CC years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Volkswagen CC reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 CC has a complaint index of 57 and ranks 4th worst among 8 model years, earning a Caution verdict relative to other CC years.
- What is the top problem area for the 2011 Volkswagen CC?
- Airbags are the top problem area, accounting for 32 complaints and 37% of all reported issues, with a median failure mileage of 44,000 miles.
- Does the 2011 Volkswagen CC have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 4 recalls for the 2011 CC, covering airbag inflators, airbag clockspring protection, and a fuel pump control module issue, none of which are do-not-drive recalls.
- How does the 2011 CC compare to other CC model years?
- The 2011 CC's complaint index of 57 is better than 2010 (86) and 2012 (100), both rated Avoid, but worse than 2014 (43), 2015 (14), and 2016 (29), which rate Good or Best.
- What is the fuel economy of the 2011 Volkswagen CC?
- The 2011 CC gets an EPA-rated 25 mpg combined (21 city / 31 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,200.